Priority Duke Basketball Target Joins Cameron Crazies

Blair Academy (N.J.) senior point guard Deron Rippey Jr. was on hand for the Duke basketball team's 96-71 exhibition home win over Blue Devil legend Johnny Dawkins' UCF Knights in the second annual Brotherhood Run on Tuesday night.

The five-star prospect, a longtime Duke offer holder, sat behind the Blue Devil bench in Cameron Indoor Stadium, watching as fourth-year head coach Jon Scheyer's talented bunch overcame struggles in the first half to post the blowout score in the end.

RELATED: Potential Duke Recruiting Prize 'Shows Shades of Ja Morant'

Late in the second half, as the Blue Devils had all but wrapped up the victory behind a 33-point, 12-rebound performance from five-star freshman forward Cameron Boozer, the blueblood program's student section, the Cameron Crazies, put their focus on Duke's official visitor during a media timeout. They began chanting, "Deron Rippey, sit with us!"

Posted by Matt Giles on Wednesday, October 22, 2025

And Rippey responded right away, walking before eventually jogging with a noticeable grin on his face as he relocated from one side of the court to the other and entered the student section via one of the open gaps on press row.

Seconds after he had climbed a step or two into the boisterous crowd, one of the Cameron Crazies' leaders handed Rippey their increasingly famous Duke-clad baby doll.

And the coveted talent executed the instructions he received from those surrounding him, hoisting the doll into the air and thereby causing the Cameron Crazies to further erupt in cheer.

Interestingly, Rippey will be in attendance to watch the Blue Devils' other exhibition contest. He'll be in Tennessee's Food City Center on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2) to check out Rick Barnes' preseason No. 18-ranked Volunteers as they host No. 6 Duke in what will be both squads' final tuneup before the regular season begins the following week.